Brazil to buy single-shot Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

According to a negotiation document, Brazil plans to purchase 60 million doses of the single-shot COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's CanSino Biologics for delivery in the third and fourth quarters of this year, as reported by NASDAQ.

The document said a ministry official signed a letter of intent on June 4 to buy the doses with Belcher Farmaceutica do Brasil.

The vaccine, known as Convidecia, will cost $17 per dose, the document said.

Health minister Marcelo Queiroga told a Senate commission investigating the handling of the pandemic in Brazil last week that the government was seeking to purchase new vaccines to diversify its supply. Queiroga cited possible acquisition of the CanSino vaccine.